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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23834482">Café Ambróse Series</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaximumCerulean/pseuds/MaximumCerulean'>MaximumCerulean</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Fandom, Cafe AU - Fandom, Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Banter, Cafe AU, F/M, Flirting, Fluff, Slice of Life</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 11:47:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,648</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23834482</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaximumCerulean/pseuds/MaximumCerulean</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>There was a new coffee shop a few blocks away from the university campus. There were flyers pinned everywhere for it, announcing its soft-opening a few weeks back and students were buzzing about how good and affordable their coffee and food were. The shop was a quaint, single-floor building. It had a nice glass window that looked out into the street with the words “Coffee is Life!” painted on the pane in fancy script with coffee and cake clip-art. The building had red-brick walls outside, giving it a warm look with a couple of round tables, iron-wrought chairs, and parasols for extra customer seating. There were a couple of flower boxes filled with blooms that changed flowers every now and then. There was usually a small chalkboard stand that announced that day’s special cake/pastry.</p><p>The trees that lined the side of the street gave appropriate shade for passersby, but the branches were trimmed enough so that even the people across the street could read the sign out front, “Café Ambróse”.</p><p>Of course, with the opening of the new café, this could mean a new opening for love and friendships.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. First Serving of Hot Americano</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The bell chimed as the door opened and Alex came in. He had tousled jet black hair, striking deep blue eyes, matched with a fair complexion. He was dressed for the cold weather- black wool jacket over dark-blue long sleeves, a pair of denim straight-cut jeans and loafers. He slung his messenger bag over one shoulder as he took in the interior of the place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The air was definitely warmer inside and the smells of cake and coffee filled the air. Pale yellow light from the bulbs overhead added to the “warm” ambiance of the atmosphere. Soft acoustic music played through speakers strategically placed high on the walls so that everywhere one would sit in the café, they’ll hear the music clearly. The floor was covered in wooden-looking linoleum tiles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The tables were nicely arranged. Some were matched with long couches, while some were paired with couches that curved into semi-circles, good for a group of friends that wanted to be seated with each other. Some had four or three stools with backrests while other tables only had one or two upholstered armchairs. A couple of the café staff was cleaning up some of the tables.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Up front was the counter with three chalk boards with their menu written in white chalk. Whoever wrote them had a nice skill in calligraphy, because their writing was neat, but not too plain, either. There was also a see-through freezer where their cakes and other pastries were displayed for everyone to see. Behind the counter three baristas were stationed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A few potted plants were situated in the corners of the huge room. There were also laminated signs that said “Wifi for Customer and Staff Use Only” that were posted on the walls.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The place wasn’t jam-packed, unlike the closest Starbucks, where the line was more stressful than it was worth. In fact, Alex liked how the shop was quiet. There were customers, yes, but not to the point that it was suffocating.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He approached the counter and looked up at the menu, even though he already knew what he was getting. He looked down and his gaze was met by a pair of stormy, gray eyes. The person on the counter looked stern and didn’t even bear a smile. He had curly sandy blond hair and a black apron. He couldn’t have been any older than Alex. His bronze tag had the name “Milo” emblazoned on it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Welcome to Café Ambróse,” he said with a thick British accent. “What are we having today?” He looked at the monitor attached to the cash register, before looking up at Alex again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh…” He blinked. There was something unnerving about the guy’s gaze. “Right. I’m getting one cup of hot, single shot Americano with extra sugar.” It was his go-to coffee. He liked how strong it was, yet how sweet he can make it with the added sugar. He found out that if he liked how a coffee shop served their Americano this way, he would end up liking the other coffee types in the menu.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The cashier guy started typing his order in. “Is that all, sir?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And a slice of…” Alex glanced over to the glass freezer. “Strawberry cheesecake.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, that would be… six dollars and fifty cents,” the blond replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, here you go.” Alex handed him a ten-dollar bill from his wallet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blond guy- Milo- took it from him and took out a note and scribbled his order on it. “Hot, single shot Americano with extra sugar for-“ He paused and looked up at Alex. “Your name, sir?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alex.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alex.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hot, single shot, Americano with extra sugar for Alex, coming right up,” a girl’s voice replied. Alex could only see the back of her head from where he was standing. Her voice was more animated than the cashier guy, despite not having the same fancy accent as him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here’s your change, sir, and the WiFi password of the day. Your order will be served in a short while,” Milo said to him in that rehearsed way employees have.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alex took his change, the piece of paper with the WiFi password and nodded, as he turned away to look for a seat. He decided to take the empty table off to the corner with just two armchairs facing each other. He set his messenger bag down and took out his Chemistry homework. After connecting his phone to the WiFi, he placed his printouts in front of him and took out his scientific calculator. He was only a quarter done with his assignment and he needed to submit that homework later that afternoon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hot, single shot Americano with extra sugar and a slice of strawberry cheesecake for Mr. Alex?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alex blinked. He had been so absorbed with his work that he didn’t notice the girl walking up to his table. The first thing he noticed was, she had the same voice as the one behind the counter earlier. He craned his neck up to see her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The girl had the same stormy gray eyes as the guy who worked the cash register, but she had a more pleasant expression on her fair face. Her long raven hair had streaks of blue running through it and was tied up in a tight high ponytail. Black hairpins helped secure stray strands away from her face. She wore the same black apron, with the dark blue buttondown uniform the staff wore. She had a circular, black tray with her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, that would be me,” he replied, two seconds late. He tried not to stare at her face. He didn’t know what he was expecting, but what he saw definitely surprised him. He glanced up at her again and read her tag. “Maxine”.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here’s your order, sir,” she said, setting a white ceramic cup down on a clear space on the table. “I didn’t know how many sugars to add since there weren’t any specifications, so I’ll just leave a sugar bowl here with you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sure enough, she had a small bowl filled with sugar cubes inside. She, then, set the cheesecake down along with a small silver fork with it. “Enjoy your coffee, sir,” she said, turning away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Alex managed to say and tried to focus on the printout in his hand. He tried to hold in the urge to flirt. Maybe next time when he comes back. He needed to make a good first impression.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, and one last thing. I couldn’t help but notice” she said, turning back again briefly. She smiled amiably at him, making her look cuter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘She couldn’t help but notice what?’ Alex immediately thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You might want to recheck your answers for item numbers four and seven. I think you interchanged the coefficients of the compounds.” She bowed and turned away again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I- what?” The male immediately looked at his answer sheet and the printout. She was right, but a part of him felt embarrassed at what she did. Weird, because he normally didn’t appreciate being corrected by strangers. He felt his cheeks turn pink. “Do you usually correct people’s assignments?” he asked, loud enough for her to hear, but not too loud that he would be causing a scene.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The girl looked over her shoulder, still smiling, but her smile was more devious now. “Only when I see mistakes and when I’m feeling generous.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alex leaned forward in his table. She wasn’t making it easy for him. Of course, he had to take the bait. “How can I thank you for your generosity?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Normally, a nice tip and a ‘thank you’ would do, but again, I’m feeling generous, so this one’s free. Enjoy your coffee, sir.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The male sat there, dumbfounded. He stared at her, as she made her way back and disappeared behind the counter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alex tried to hide the smile that crept up to his lips. They were worth 5 points each. He added three cubes of sugar into the steaming dark liquid and stirred. God, the girl knew how to make an impression. Every now and then, he would glance over to the counter. He didn’t know why but he wanted to see what she was up to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He brought the cup close to his face and took a whiff. His blue eyes widened. The coffee was pleasantly aromatic. It smelled sweet with that hint of bitter scent that suggested the beans were roasted perfectly. His lips puckered to blow onto it. He took a sip and couldn’t help but exclaim, “Woah.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Americano they served tasted perfect. Perfect to Alex’s taste. It was the kind of taste that made Alex immediately know that this coffee shop was going to be his go-to now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Smart and can make a good cup. Alex was even more intrigued with Maxine more than he would have liked to admit. Even if she said her generosity was free, he was going to leave a tip. Maybe next time, he’d leave with something more.</span>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey Max, did you just flirt with tall, dark and handsome over there?” Travis, one of the baristas asked, as soon as Maxine entered their safe haven behind the counter. He had a huge teasing grin on his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maxine frowned, fixing the coffee drip machine. “What? No. Do I look like someone who flirts to you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, flirting or not, whatever you said to him, it’s making him glance here every now and then,” Milo said, keeping his gaze straight ahead, in case a customer came in. “It’s making me uncomfortable.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maxine and Travis instinctively leaned over the counter to check and they caught sight of him stealing glances their way. The both of them immediately backed away, as if burned by his gaze. The guy, in turn, also averted his eyes. Probably embarrassed that he was caught in the act.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow, you two are real obvious,” another female’s voice joined in. Korinne stood on her tiptoes, just so she can lean over the freezer. Her short, ginger hair was tied in two low pigtails, with hairpins keeping most of her hair strands away from her face. Like them, she wore the designated uniform of the staff that worked in the café- a dark blue buttondown and khaki slacks. Except her apron had a few fandom pins of the mecha anime shows she was into. “You might as well have a neon sign over your heads saying you’re checking him out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why don’t you say it louder?” Travis said, crouching down and taking out one of the cakes from the freezer. He didn’t have to do this, but he needed to talk close to Korinne without being too conspicuous. “I think he didn’t hear you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did you say to him, anyway?” Korinne asked, ignoring Travis’s retort.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maxine was already working on filling up an order that Milo just gave her. “Nothing. I just told him the mistake he made in his chemistry homework. They were so obvious; it would have been painful for me not to correct him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look at you, Miss I-Have-Good-Grades-In-Chemistry,” Travis said, after slicing up the cake he just took out and putting it back in the freezer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s still pretty weird of you, though,” Korinne commented. “We’ve been working here for almost two months now and you don’t usually talk to customers unless necessary.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maxine tensed. Did she actually just do something out of character?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like how we’re supposed to talk to each other only when necessary?” another voice joined in the conversation. He was a tall guy with dyed silver hair, his dark roots showing. Silver set a tray with empty cups and icing-stained plates.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s no rule to that,” Travis said, fixing up yet another chai tea order. “We’re still doing our jobs.” He brought the drinks up on a tray and fixed his gaze on the table where two girls were. “And apparently, we’re doing great at it.” He left their station to deliver the orders personally.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whatever, guys,” Maxine said. Like Travis, she was off to deliver some cappuccinos she made. “I’m sure you’re all just making a big deal out of it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She tried not to think about it too much, but ever since Milo pointed out that the guy often stole glances their way…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After around two more hours, the guy stood up from his place and started packing up. Just like every other customer, he left without saying word. Maxine was cleaning up a few tables down and decided to just clean up his.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When she got to his table, the first thing she noticed was the one-dollar bill and fifty cents on top of a ripped notebook paper. One-fifty was a huge tip! And it was for her! Maxine picked up the note and read what was written on it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re not the only one feeling generous today. Thanks for the good coffee.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maxine pursed her lips. Why did she feel like smiling? Well… she just got a huge tip! There was a reason for her to smile. She folded the note and pocketed it along with the tip. She had a feeling she was going to see him again.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. First Serving of Iced Caramel Macchiato</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>A pair of lilac eyes scanned the whole building. Sylvia inhaled and took in the various scents of the shop. The rumors in her class were right. The place was cute and had that comfortable air to it. Ever since this shop opened, it was slowly gaining popularity among students. They served good coffee, tea, and pastries. The prices were reasonable and the setting itself was picturesque. Instagram-worthy, even.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, some of her classmates said that some of the baristas were eye-candy and for Sylvia, that was just an added bonus, if it were true. The line wasn’t long when she arrived, but the place was busy with chatter. The soft acoustic music that played overhead was relaxing and that was the purpose why she dropped by in this café. To relax.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had taken off her long rose-colored coat and draped it over one arm. That day, she wore a long sleeved white blouse with a black ribbon knotted around the collar, paired with a long purple skirt, white stockings and black slip-ons. Her magenta-tipped honey-blonde hair cascaded behind her shoulders, while some of it was held back by a butterfly-shaped hairpin at the back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Welcome to Café Ambróse,” said the girl on the counter. She had short, red hair tied back in a pair of low pigtails and her dainty face had a splash of freckles across her nose. They reminded Sylvia of pumpkin spice sprinkles. “May I take your order?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’ll have an iced venti caramel macchiato with an extra shot of milk,” she said. Her British accent laced into her words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Iced venti caramel macchiato with an extra shot of milk for-“ The ginger looked up again at her. “May I have your name, ma’am?” She held up a small note with her order on it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sylvia.” She glanced at the girl’s nametag. “Korinne”, it said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sylvia,” the girl continued. She glanced over to the side and Sylvia couldn’t help but follow her gaze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A tall male with red hair, just a shade or two darker than the ginger’s, was leaning over the freezer with one arm. He was wearing the same dark blue uniform as the cashier and a black apron covered his front. A carefree smile was plastered on his handsome face. His clear, sky blue eyes were fixed at… Sylvia.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You got that?” Korinne asked her co-worker, in a dry tone, as if she was aware that he had been standing there like that for some time now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Iced venti caramel macchiato with an extra shot of milk,” the male repeated, still unabashedly looking at Sylvia and winked, before turning away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blonde could feel herself blushing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry about that,” Korinne amended, as she punched in her order in the register. She gave Sylvia a small awkward smile. “He’s not really a creep… I think.” She added the last bit as an afterthought. “Anyway, would that be all?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” she answered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That would be five dollars and fifty cents.” She held out a hand to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sylvia took her purse out and fished for a ten-dollar bill. Then, she took her change and the piece of paper for that day’s WiFi password. She looked around for an empty seat and decided to settle by the one close to the window. The lighting was good, no direct sunlight and there was a round table that only had one seat for it. Perfect.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The British girl made herself comfortable, draping her coat over one of the armrests. She took a book out and started to read, while she waited for her coffee to arrive.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“An iced venti caramel macchiato with an extra shot of milk for the pretty princess,” a cool, deep voice said, A tall glass of caramel-colored liquid with white milk and ice floating at the top was set on the table in front of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sylvia closed her book and tilted her head up slightly to meet his gaze. “Do you call every customer you have ‘princess’?” she asked with an arched eyebrow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not everyone. It’s a title reserved only to the most fitting.” He smiled brightly. “So far, you’re the only one fitting for the title ‘princess’.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She scoffed. The guy was obviously not new to exchanges like this. “Of course, I am,” she said with an eyeroll. She picked up her glass and stirred her drink lightly with her straw. Satisfied, she took a tentative sip from her drink. Her eyes widened with surprise.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sylvia didn’t exactly know what she was expecting, but the taste of her macchiato was amazing! The sweet-salty taste of caramel blended well with the milk and complemented the coffee in the mixture. She picked up a napkin and dabbed at her lips gently. “Did you make this? This is…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, only the best for our dear customers,” the male replied. “Especially for pretty girls like you.” He winked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s sexist.” There was another worker just several feet away from them, clearing a table. She had long, straight dark hair with blue streaks running along its length. She continued to wipe at the wooden surface of the table, as if she didn’t just interrupt him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Max, can’t you see I’m trying to work here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sylvia looked up to read the name on his nametag: Travis.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Max only smiled and shrugged. “I’m just saying.” She bowed her head slightly at Sylvia when she noticed that she was looking her way and left for the kitchen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anyway,” Travis said, turning back to her. “What do you think?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sylvia hesitated. “It’s okay, as far as caramel macchiatos go,” she said, nonchalantly and sipped her drink again. Her fair face had a neutral expression and she opened her book again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“’Okay’?” Travis frowned. He prided himself in the way he made tea and macchiatos. “Really?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I- I’m glad,” he said. He smiled again, but even she could tell that it was a little forced. “What was… off about this one?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sylvia tried to think, so she averted her gaze from his blue eyes. “There’s… too much ice… and… a few milliliters of milk too much,” she said. Though, truthfully, she already liked the way it was served to her, but she couldn’t take back what she said, either.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Travis raised an eyebrow. His smile had turned into a smirk, his clear blue eyes twinkling. Did he see right through her? “Is that so? Then, next time, I’ll make sure to stick to your specifications, princess.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, can you now?” she asked, suddenly intrigued. Her lips curled up in that cold smile she was known for. She liked how he was confident that she was going to come back with how he casually said “next time”. She was definitely going to come back for the challenge. “We’ll see about that-” She made a show of glancing and squinting up at his nametag, as if she didn’t know who he was. “-Travis.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Travis seemed unfazed, however. He simply smiled at her brightly. “Enjoy your coffee, princess.” He winked again and left for the counter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her classmates were right. There were charming baristas here, but they didn’t mention that she was going to have more fun than she thought she’d have.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, how did your quest go?” Silver asked Travis as he entered their space behind the counter. He was putting a new cake inside the freezer. His huge, golden eyes fixed at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It went smoothly,” Travis said, forming a circle with his thumb and index finger. “No, thanks to Max.” He glared at her direction.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maxine was collecting drops of espresso from the coffee drip machine and only glanced up at them to smile too innocently before going back at her task at hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“At least one of us is enjoying this,” Milo said, picking up a tray filled with frappuccinos and a plate of cookies, before exiting to find their customer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What exactly happened back there?” Korinne asked, checking the cash register for change and exchanging some bills for a bag of coins. She scoffed. “Did you manage to get her number?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Travis shook his head. “No, I don’t think she’s ready to give it to me just yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Awww, you poor thing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s a first,” Maxine interjected. She passed by the two of them with a tray with two cups in it. “Excuse me. Coming through.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But I will! Later or one of these days.” He nudged Korinne and Silver, who almost dropped the slice of cake he was going to be serving. “If you guys man the cash register and she comes in, you direct her order to me, okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Korinne chuckled and just shook her head. “Whatever you say. Take this order. Hot cappuccino with sweetened whipped cream.” She tacked the note beside Travis, which he started working on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Silver scowled. “What? And let you take a potential tip?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look at it this way, it’s less work for you, but the same pay nonetheless!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The stormy look Silver had on cleared up. “Well, if you put it that way. What does she look like?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Travis was adding milk into the drink and glanced at where the girl was sitting. “Don’t look now, but she’s the one beside the window, reading a book. The one with long hair and pink tips in her hair.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, Silver didn’t follow his instructions and ended up looking at that moment. “Her?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Travis took a peek. The moment he poked his head out was the same exact moment Sylvia raised her head and their gazes met.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The redhead tried to play it cool by waving at her, but he was rattled. “Yes, her,” he said to Silver through gritted teeth, like a ventriloquist.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The gray-haired male was trying not to laugh at him and was already working to deliver his designated order. “Noted.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Travis could feel himself turning red, but he just went on to fix up the coffee art on the cappuccino before loading them up on an empty tray. “Tell the others about the plan, Korinne,” he reminded her, as he got out of their little cubbyhole.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Korinne just waved her hand at him in an “I-got-it” way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Travis was returning back to the counter to serve up another order to a group of friends, he passed by Sylvia who was already getting up to leave. He noticed that her glass was empty.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Leaving so soon, princess?” he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She slipped her coat on and her book inside her bag. “I still have some places to be. Thanks for the coffee.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anything for you,” Travis said. “Don’t worry about the tip. A kiss or your phone number would be fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sylvia laughed softly. “You’re a confident one, aren’t you?” She took a dollar from her wallet and put it in Travis’s breast pocket. “Maybe when your caramel macchiato goes beyond ‘okay’, I’ll consider it. Until then, take this.” Her hand patted his pocket gently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned around, her hair gently flying behind her. “Later.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Travis stood there, frozen for a few seconds. His cheeks felt warm and he could still smell her lavender perfume. A small smile formed on his lips. “Later.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. First Serving of Iced Vanilla Latte</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>As the blonde came in the café, the first thing she noticed was the line towards the single cashier counter. She made a clicking noise with her tongue as she resigned herself to look for a seat first. One of the things she heard about the café was the lack of waiting in line.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>AJ had to admit, despite the disappointment, she couldn’t blame the café for starting to gain popularity among the college students in her campus. Aside from being close to the university, Café Ambróse’s building was aesthetically pleasing and she could tell that the atmosphere was conducive to both studying and just hanging out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked for an empty table and settled on one of the round tables that only had a single tall stool. She set her backpack down on the surface of the table and tied her long, curly blond hair in a ponytail. She looked around the customers to see if she knew anyone there…</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Nada.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Shrugging, she took her jacket off, revealing a long-sleeved turtleneck, khaki shorts over tight black leggings and brown felt ankle boots. Pretty stylish for a day at a café… because she had already ran out of normal clothes to wear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>AJ took out her phone and joined the line. She was at the backmost of it, so she figured she had five or ten minutes of waiting. She hummed along to the soft acoustic music, recognizing the song. She was so engrossed with her PDF reading on her phone that she didn’t notice that she was already in the front of the line.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Welcome to Café Ambróse,” a male’s voice greeted her. “What can we get you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>AJ’s attention perked up. The cashier had a nice, rich, British accent, paired with a smooth baritone voice. Her doe-like cerulean eyes met with a pair of stormy, gray ones.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The cashier guy had a handsome face with a strong jawline and high cheekbones, but the strong lines of his face were softened by his sandy blond curls. His lips curled up in a friendly smile that lit up his whole face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“W-what?” Her cheeks suddenly felt warm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The guy’s expression suddenly turned a complete 180. His smile dissipated and it was replaced by a cold, slightly annoyed look. “I said-“ he put a slight emphasis on the “said” “-may I take your order?” He mumbled something under his breath that AJ didn’t quite catch. Something like “not doing that again”.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blonde flipped her hair over her shoulder and regained her composure back. She smiled as brightly and as sweetly as she could. “Yeah. I’ll have a Venti iced vanilla latte with two extra shots of espresso.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. British set his gaze on the monitor attached to the cash register and started typing her order in. “Venti, iced vanilla latte with two extra shots of espresso,” he said out loud, “for miss-“ He looked up at her and raised an eyebrow in question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“AJ,” she replied, still with a melodious tone. She sort of found it amusing how he looked bored, even though just a minute ago he had such a bright smile on his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. British raised both eyebrows upon hearing her name and resigned to shrug. “For Miss AJ.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Iced vanilla latte with two extra shots of espresso, coming right up,” a girl with short red hair said, passing behind the cashier and onto their coffee machines.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Would that be all, miss?” he asked her. “Anything else we can get for you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>AJ smirked. “Yeah, actually. Your number.” Her eyes glinted with playful mischief.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The cashier paused for a second, obviously taken aback by what she said. At first, AJ thought he would get flustered. He wasn’t going to be the first guy she had reduced to a blushing mess with just a simple way of flirting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However, it didn’t turn out that way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The guy gave her half a smile. “That would cost you additional ten dollars, miss. Frankly, more than what you ordered.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>AJ tried not to wince. She didn’t have a lot of cash on her being a broke college student, but she wasn’t going to back down on this. She leaned forward on the counter. No one was behind her anyway, so she didn’t worry about wasting someone’s time. Well… maybe except for the cashier boy. “Make that fifteen and throw in the time when your shift ends.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She glanced down at his nametag. Milo. He had a cute name.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Behind him, two of the baristas snorted and from what AJ could see, they were trying to hold in laughter. This made her smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Milo, on the other hand, didn’t have the same reaction as her. He glared at their direction, his cheeks finally turning a pale shade of rose. He turned back to face AJ. “Sorry, but that’s classified information. Is there anything else-“ He added emphasis on his next words “-on the menu that you would like to order?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>AJ laughed, feeling satisfied. “Sadly, the one I want isn’t on the menu, so the latte should be enough for now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Milo gritted his teeth. “That would be four dollars.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taking a ten-dollar bill from her wallet, AJ set it on top of the counter and then waited for her change.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And here’s the password of the day for our WiFi,” Milo added, giving her a small piece of paper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you.” AJ gave him another winning smile, before sashaying back to where she had put her bag. Her lips didn’t uncurl for the rest of the time. There was something weirdly amusing about her encounter with the guy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She made sure to sit in a way that she could see the counter even through her peripheral vision. She took her phone out and connected it to the WiFi. “Girl, I have a new café we can go to,” she typed in the message and sent it to a close friend of hers.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She tips nicely and she’s cute,” Korinne commented, behind Milo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” Milo said, pretending to count the total number of bills. “Is she? I didn’t notice from all the annoyingness.” He glanced up briefly to her direction. The blonde was scrolling on her phone as she was sipping the vanilla latte Korinne had just served a while ago. He just noticed how dainty she looked and how delicate her facial features were.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” the redhead replied. “I mean, look at her.” She coughed. “Not that you haven’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This made Milo turn his head to her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Korinne shrugged, but he could see the trace of a faint smile on her lips, before she moved away from him to continue her duties as a barista.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The girl must have been captivated by your smile earlier, man,” Travis said. He was the other barista behind the counter when the incident happened. “Who knew Mr. Saber had the killer smile that can make girls go-“ He mimed swooning, before falling into a fit of laughter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Milo turned red. “I don’t- I wasn’t-“ He gritted his teeth. He was more articulate than this. “I am not doing that ever again. I blame Maxine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did I do this time?” Maxine had come up in front of the counter. She was just passing by to clean up another table when she heard her name.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You told me to smile a little earlier and now-“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And what?” Maxine asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Someone outwitted him,” Korinne piped in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She didn’t,” Milo snapped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really now?” Maxine grinned at him. “ See? Told you, smiling when you’re assigned to cash register duty is not bad! We should be getting more customers if you keep it up!” She patted him on the arm before leaving.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Milo clenched his jaw. He looked around and saw Silver. “Hey, Silver, mate. How do you feel about manning the cash register more often than I do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Silver looked up from wiping one of the tables clean. “You mean, you want to give me more time just sitting there and counting money?” His golden eyes seemed to light up from the inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blond stiffened. He actually liked cash register duty more than he liked cleaning up tables and washing cups and saucers. “On second thought, never mind.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His gray eyes wandered for a bit, since there weren’t any customers and he caught sight of her glancing at his direction. When their gazes met, the blonde waved at him with her fingers wiggling in the air. To this, Milo averted his eyes and just went back to the monitor of the register.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blonde stood up from her seat and walked up to the counter again a while later. Milo braced himself for another round of flirting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi, I’d like a venti double chocolate chip frappuccino to go, please?” the female blonde asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Milo pursed his lips and repeated her order out loud for whoever the vacant barista was at the moment. “Venti Double Chocolate Chip Frappuccino to go for Miss AJ.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>AJ laughed. “Aww, you remembered my name! I’ve made quite an impression on you, didn’t I?” Her smile reached her huge doe-like eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Milo clenched his jaw once more. He needed to think of something before he said anything to that. He looked up at her and noticed the confident look on her face. One of the corners of his mouth tilted up. “Not as big as the impression I’ve made on you.” He held his hand out. “That would be five dollars.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>AJ stood there, staring up at him, obviously still processing what he just said. She gave him a five-dollar bill, but still with that look that said she didn’t expect him to say something like that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can either wait to the side, miss, or choose a table to settle in while we work on your order,” Milo continued, trying to hide the smug tone in his voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, here is fine,” the blonde girl replied. She blinked and seemed to have composed herself once more. “The view’s better here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Milo coughed and just shook his head gently. He had to give it to her. She didn’t back down so easily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Silver was done with her order, Milo handed a paper cup holder out to her. “Enjoy your coffee.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, this one’s not for me,” she said, turning away. “It’s for a friend, but maybe next time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bell chimed, as she closed the door behind her.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. First Serving of Iced Vanilla Latte with Extra Syrup</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The bell chimed as Tyrone stepped inside the quaint building. His pale hands combed through his snow-white hair, as he took his beanie off. He tugged his wool jacket off, revealing a light blue sweater underneath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He inhaled deeply, as the smell of coffee and pastries wafted up to his nostrils, pleasantly waking his dull senses up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His ice-blue eyes glinted behind his horn-rimmed glasses, as he scanned the place. It was well-lit, considering it was overcast outside. There wasn’t a long line, probably because it was barely 7 AM. His best friend was right.This did seem like a pleasant café.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He yawned, walking up to the counter. He didn’t get any sleep last night because of some last-minute requirements, but he also didn’t want his heart to palpitate so early in the morning. He just needed enough caffeine to keep him from sleeping in his first period lecture class.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Welcome to Café Ambróse,” the girl at the cash register said. Despite it being early in the morning, her gray eyes were alert. The blue streaks in her raven hair and the circles under her eyes made her look like she was ready to fight anyone who tried to mug the café. Heh. Mug the café.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tyrone almost smacked himself for that thought. It was the lack of sleep thinking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What can we get you this morning?” the girl asked, with a smile. Though, to him, it looked more like a sneer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tyrone instinctively leaned away from her. “Uh, yeah.” He squinted up at the menu. “Can I have a grande iced vanilla latte with extra syrup, please?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Scary Girl punched his order on the screen. “Would that be to-go, sir, or not?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The albino glanced at his watch. He still had time to kill. He could stay and eat something for breakfast. He deserved a good breakfast after last night!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was just about to answer when another girl interrupted him. She emerged from a door behind the counter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, I’m late!” she said, a little breathlessly. She had short red hair that looked winded as if she just ran a marathon. She was relatively more petite than the cashier.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The cashier looked over her shoulder and flashed the newcomer with a warm smile to acknowledge her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meanwhile, Tyrone’s eyes met with the newcomer’s. She had a pretty, freckled face and warm emerald eyes. Her cheeks turned pink at their accidental eye contact, but she gave him a polite smile that made Tyrone’s heart skip a beat. She bowed her head slightly and turned to her work.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The albino didn’t realize he was still staring until the cashier cleared her throat. “Sir?” Her gray eyes, despite her smile, were several degrees colder than earlier. He could tell. He was the king of icy gazes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-yes? I’m sorry. I was, uh, I was-” He couldn’t possibly say he got distracted by her colleague.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The cashier heaved a sigh. Tyrone figured he didn’t like her that much. “I said, would you like your latte to-go, or not, sir?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll, uh, I’ll just have it here,” he muttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Would that be all, sir?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tyrone’s eyes wandered for a second. His gaze landed on the back of the ginger’s head. Then, she looked over her shoulder and their eyes met again. Both of them flinched, obviously embarrassed at getting caught stealing glances. “Uh… do you guys serve waffles?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We serve breakfast meals only until 9 AM.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Two waffles topped with maple syrup, butter, and blueberries, please.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That would be $7.50.” The cashier- the name on her tag said “Maxine”- held out her hand to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tyrone took out a ten-dollar note from his pocket and placed it on top of her open palm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your name, sir?” she asked, as she fished out some change.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ru-” He caught himself, before continuing. “Tyrone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“One grande iced vanilla latte with extra syrup for Tyrone,” Maxine reiterated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Got it,” the ginger said, not looking over her shoulder anymore. Tyrone felt a little disappointed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here’s your change and today’s Wi-Fi password,” the raven-haired girl said, handing him some money and a small piece of paper. “Please take a seat and we’ll serve your order to you shortly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gave her a nod and slowly walked to an empty table with an upholstered armchair. He reclined back and watched the street outside. Rain had started to pour from the overcast sky. It felt nice being inside the cafe, nice and warm, surrounded by sweet smells.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Having a cute barista helps, too,’</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought, before chiding himself. Was he really crushing on someone he barely knew? He liked the thought of love at first sight for songs and maybe some movies, but that was too cheesy, even for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sighing, he closed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. It was probably the lack of sleep talking. He didn’t realize he had drifted off to sleep until he caught the scent of vanilla and coffee… and waffles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry! I didn’t mean to wake you,” a moderately panicked voice said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tyrone immediately sat up. His heart raced from being woken up suddenly. “N-no!” He straightened his glasses on his nose and tried to subtly wipe at the corner of his mouth, hoping he didn’t drool. “It’s fine. I didn’t mean to fall asleep. Thanks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The girl smiled. She was prettier up close. Her green eyes crinkled at the sides. Her hair was less winded now, but he could tell she had just patted it down with her hands and extra bobby pins. She wore the same uniform as the cashier- a dark blue buttondown, khaki pants, and a black apron.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She waved her hand dismissively at him. “It’s fine. We don’t have a lot of customers yet, so you can take a nap, if you want to. I’d say your coffee would get cold, but you know.” She gestured at the tall glass of iced latte on his table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tyrone stared up at her, before realizing she was making a joke. He chuckled when she blushed and muttered, “Oh, that was bad. I should have kept my mouth zipped.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The girl clapped her hands to punctuate the cute, awkward situation they were in. “Anyway, here’s your latte and food! Enjoy!” She turned on her heel and hurriedly walked away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The albino looked down at the food on the table. The waffles looked delicious- golden, textured bread with glistening syrup and a square of butter on top, dotted with blueberries. The whipped cream on top of his iced vanilla latte had a smiley face drawn in chocolate syrup.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His smile melted off when he noticed something else on the table. “Miss? Excuse me?” he called, raising a hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, sir? Is something wrong?” The same barista came running towards his table. Worry etched on her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tyrone almost felt bad for calling her like that. “Nothing’s wrong, really. It’s just that, I didn’t order this.” He held up a cookie shaped like a cat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh!” The girl smiled. “That’s on the house. You looked like you could use some extra energy boost.” She paused. “Are you allergic to chocolate? I’ll go swap it with something else-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No need.” Tyrone held up a hand to stop her. Just when he thought she couldn’t get any cuter. “Thank you-” His eyes glanced at her name tag. “-Korinne. That’s a really cute name.” He realized how creepy/stalkerish he sounded the moment that left his lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Korinne only smiled politely. Her cheeks turned another shade of pink. “Thank you. Enjoy your breakfast.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before she could leave again, Tyrone spoke, “For the record, I quite like cats. Thanks for this.” He held the cookie up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t mention it.” With that, she gave him a slight bow and went back behind the counter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When the girl left, Tyrone let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. His heart raced, even though he hadn’t had some caffeine yet. Was he sick?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He held the glass of iced vanilla latte and stared at the smiley face on it. It was silly and cute that he couldn’t help but smile a little. He didn’t want to ruin the design, but he really needed the coffee. He took a sip from the straw and his eyes widened</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The drink was sweet and mild. Even though it was very milky, Tyrone could still taste the kick of the coffee in it. It wasn’t overpowered with milk, despite how it looked. The subtle scent and taste of vanilla blended perfectly well, too. The fact that it was iced just made the taste even better for him. He wasn’t a coffee connoisseur, but this was the best iced vanilla latte he’s had for a long time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took his phone out and typed up a text to his best friend. He looked up for a moment and coincidentally saw the girl that gave him a free cookie. “You’re right, man. This place is amazing.”</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, he gets a cookie and I don’t?” Maxine asked sourly, as soon as the ginger got behind the counter again. Clearly, the raven wasn’t in her best mood. “Wow. Sure. He’s the one who covered your shift here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Korinne just smiled at her friend. “I told you I’m sorry! I’ll get you a slice of cake later. I promise.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maxine’s shoulders relaxed. Of course, cake was going to make things better when it came to her. “That cake better be chocolate.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A small smile tugged at the cashier’s lips. “Okay, you’re forgiven. You’re lucky there aren’t a lot of customers this early.” She glanced at her watch. “Where the hell is Travis? The both of you are supposed to be manning this place until 11. I need sleep, guys!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The only reason the café opened up on time, because Korinne managed to text Maxine, who lived the closest that she was going to run late.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure he’s also on his way here,” Korinne said, checking the coffee drip machine and refilling the pitcher of milk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What was up with you giving the guy a freebie?” Maxine asked, leaning her hip against the counter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Korinne didn’t know why, but her face started to heat up. Yeah, why did she give him a free cookie? “Uh… he just seemed like he needed it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As if they choreographed it, the both of them turned their heads lone customer. The white-haired guy was eating his waffles contentedly. His expression was stoic the whole time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, maybe more sweet pastries can lighten up, grumpy Mr. Four-Eyes,” Maxine muttered in a low voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The shorter girl looked up at Maxine. </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘You’re the one to talk.’</span>
  </em>
  <span> Though, she didn’t say anything. Just as she kept looking at their customer, he looked up and locked eyes with her. She let out a small yelp and turned away immediately, as if his gaze burned her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, guys!” a cheerful male voice greeted. Another redhead emerged to the counter. He wore the same uniform they did. “Sorry, I’m late! I got caught up in something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Finally!” Maxine said. She took off her apron and slung it around Travis’s neck. “There.” She turned to the both of them. “You guys owe me. Peace out!” She raised both hands with two fingers up in a double “Peace!” sign and walked out to the direction of the back exit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s up with her?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Korinne shrugged. “Maybe it’s exams week for her. She’s pretty unhinged when she’s stressed out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Travis raised both eyebrows in agreement. He tied the apron behind his back. “Any interesting thing happened while I was away?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What makes you say that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Travis stabbed a thumb behind him towards the direction of the white-haired guy with glasses. “I’ve only been here for five minutes and I’ve seen him look over here ten times already.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Korinne blushed so hard, her freckles almost disappeared. “N-nothing happened!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The male grinned and turned to her. “Really now? I never took you for someone to have a crush while at work!” He looked over his shoulder and shamelessly stared at their customer. “He is kind of cute in this ice prince kind of way. Is he your type? Did you make a move on him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His words just made Korinne blush even more. The sound of the bell ringing was music to her ears. “You should face the other direction, Herrington. We have customers coming in.” She turned away from him, secretly glad for the excuse not to answer his questions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Travis only chuckled. “Fine. Fine,” he said with a sing-song tone. He put on his brightest smile and chatted up the new customers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meanwhile, out of the corner of her eye, Korinne saw the guy leave a tip under the plate where she served the cookie.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. First Serving of Double Chocolate Chip Frappuccino</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Larissa tapped her foot impatiently, her crimson eyes darting from her friend to the front of the line, then back to her friend again. She scolded herself for getting dragged out of their cozy dorm room and into the packed coffee shop. “Can’t believe we’re waiting in this long line for a frappuccino,” she said, crossing her arms in front of her chest.</p><p>AJ turned around to face her. Her curly golden blonde hair framed her petite face. Her cheeks were rosy from the cold, which made her look like a character from those fairytale books Larissa read as a child. “Hey, you had a taste of their frappe and you said it’s one of the best you’ve had!”</p><p>“Yeah, but that’s not really the reason we’re here now, are we?” she said with a raised eyebrow. Oh, she knew about this place alright. AJ told her all about the cute British cashier that she flirted with the first time she came here.</p><p>AJ only gave her a bright smile as a response. “I’ll go save us a table so you stay here and get our orders.”</p><p>Larissa rolled her eyes and blew a strand of gray hair away from her face. “You sure you don’t want to order so you can get face-to-face with sweet British Boy?”</p><p>Her friend winked at her. “I’ll get my chance later.” With that, she sauntered away, curly blonde locks swaying with her every movement.</p><p>Sighing, Larissa shook her head and resigned to her fate. Her eyes looked around the café, taking in the interior. It was nice, as far as cafés went. It was a mix of minimalistic and artistic design that would attract any college student or people their age. The lighting was adequate and the heating was perfect. The tables and chairs were placed strategically around the space to accommodate a lot of customers without it being too crowded. Faint music played in the speakers, giving more ambience to the place. The aroma of coffee and baked goods clung in the air, making Larissa take a really deep breath.</p><p>“Are you ready to order?” a voice snapped her back into reality.</p><p>Larissa blinked twice and fixed her gaze on the boy at the counter. He had spiky gray hair with blackened roots and huge golden eyes that seemed to stare right into her soul. He wore a dark blue buttondown shirt that had the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and khaki pants. On the left side of his chest was a shiny name tag with his name on it. “Silver.”</p><p>He was cute, but not in the way Larissa had imagined him when AJ described him to her. Not to mention, the guy didn’t have the “swoon-worthy” British accent AJ kept gushing about.</p><p>There were moments when Larissa’s mouth moved first before she could think about the words she would say. This was one of those moments. “You’re the guy AJ’s crushing on? Thought you’d be cuter.”</p><p>“Excuse me?” The cashier’s face was full of disbelief.</p><p>Larissa bit her cheek and silently cursed herself. “Nothing. I’m sorry. Let’s just get on with my order-”</p><p>“No, no, no,” the guy said, waving a hand dismissively. “I’m pretty sure what you said wasn’t ‘nothing’. Can you say it again? I didn’t quite catch it.”</p><p>Larissa may be crass, but she knew how to read people’s moods, especially anger. She could clearly hear it in his words, despite that fake-ass smile on his face. “I said it was nothing, so please. Can’t you just be like Elsa and ‘let it go’?”</p><p>“I can’t just ‘let it go’,” the guy said, mimicking the way Larissa said it. His face contorted into a fake-happy expression. “You can insult my work. You can insult me for being slow, but you can’t just insult my face <em> to my face </em> and expect me to just take it sitting down!”</p><p>“Fine!” Larissa snapped. “I said you weren’t as cute as how my friend described you and after hearing your irritating voice,  I think ‘cute’ is tiers above your level!”</p><p>“Why you-”</p><p>“Silver!” Someone smacked him from behind. A girl with short red hair was glaring at the boy. </p><p>“You can’t talk like that to a customer! Go take five. I’ll handle this.”</p><p>Silver, that must have been his name, was still staring daggers at Larissa. He pointed two fingers at his eyes, then at Larissa in an “I’m-watching-you” way then turned his back.</p><p>“I’m so sorry about that,” the girl who took over said and bowed apologetically to Larissa. “He’s usually mild-mannered. Anyway, what can we get you today?”</p><p>Larissa significantly calmed down. There was something with the way the girl talked that was so different from the guy who first manned the cash register. “Uh… I’d like to have a venti double chocolate chip frappe and a venti iced vanilla latte, please?”</p><p>She rubbed her arm with one hand as the girl punched her order into the machine. “I’m also really sorry for my behavior. I think I misspoke and things just went out of hand.”</p><p>The redhead gave her a polite smile. “It’s okay as long as you realize your mistake. Though, I don’t think you should be apologizing to <em> me </em>.” She smiled at Larissa, before looking over her shoulder. “One venti double chocolate chip frappe and a venti iced vanilla latte for-” She turned back to Larissa. “Er, your name please?”</p><p>“Issa,” Larissa replied.</p><p>“Issa!” the cashier echoed. “Would that be to-go or would you drink it here?”</p><p>“We’ll just have it here.”</p><p>She punched a few buttons into the cash register and there was a loud “ding!” “That would be nine dollars in total.” She held out a hand to her.</p><p>Larissa took a ten-dollar bill from her wallet and gave it to the girl.</p><p>The cashier pressed a few more buttons and gave Larissa her change and a piece of paper. “That contains the café’s password for today. You can wait in a table and we’ll serve your order in a bit.”</p><p>The gray-haired individual accepted her change and the slip of paper. It contained the name of the establishment’s WiFi and its password. She turned on her heel and looked for AJ in the crowded café. It didn’t take long for her to spot the golden curls of her friend.</p><p>“I just met the cashier. He’s not as cute as you described,” Larissa said, slipping into the chair opposite to hers. “I’m questioning your taste in guys and your eyesight. We should have you checked to the ophthalmologist.”</p><p>AJ stared at her. Her cerulean eyes wide with disbelief. “Really? I thought he was a cutie. A little rude at first, but that’s what makes teasing him so fun.”</p><p>“I can see the ‘rude’ bit, though.” She took her phone out and logged in to the café’s WiFi, before mindlessly scrolling through social media.</p><p>“Aw, c’mon. He couldn’t have been that bad,” AJ coaxed.</p><p>Larissa was about to answer when she was interrupted by a baritone voice with a thick British accent “One venti chocolate chip frappuccino and one venti iced vanilla latte for Miss Issa?”</p><p>The two girls looked up to see a tall male with sandy blond curls. He had a chiseled face and intense stormy gray eyes. He wore the uniform of the café, but unlike the cashier earlier, he had a black apron on. He balanced a tray on one hand with their two drinks- a chocolate chip frappe and a vanilla latte.</p><p>He exuded a completely different aura from the gray-haired cashier Larissa encountered earlier.</p><p>“Hey, you!” AJ greeted him, a huge smile plastered on her lips. She playfully wiggled her fingers at him in a wave.</p><p>The barista tensed upon seeing AJ. “You!” His features tightened for a second before relaxing again. He set their drinks down and bowed stiffly. “Enjoy your drinks.” He then walked away as if eager to get away from their table.</p><p>AJ then turned to Larissa and laughed. “Did you see his face? Priceless!” She clapped her hands softly. “Though, even when he’s annoyed, he still looks really cute. Don’t you think?”</p><p>Larissa blinked. “Wait. You mean to say… That was the cashier you were crushing on?!”</p><p>Her friend nodded. “Yep! Didn’t you say you saw him earlier?”</p><p>Larissa buried her face in her hands. Oh god. She made a huge mistake! “Oh, I am an ass!”</p><p>“Are you complimenting yourself or are you just saying you’re an ass?” AJ asked, taking a sip from her iced vanilla latte.</p><p>Larissa explained how she had mistook another guy for AJ’s crush when she was at the counter earlier and how she may or may not have said some things to him. This made AJ laugh so much, the blonde doubled over.</p><p>“Oh my god, that’s-” AJ laughed some more.</p><p>“I know!” Larissa sipped her frappuccino. It was just as good as she remembered it. It was sweet, creamy, and chocolaty. As if the one who made it had a sweet tooth the same as Larissa’s. “What do I do? I’m not coming here ever!” She took another sip of her frappuccino. “Which is bad because I love the frappe!”</p><p>AJ wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. “Aww… too bad. More for me, then.”</p><p>“AJ, you’re not helping-”</p><p>“Well, there is one thing you can do to fix this.” She set her vanilla latte down and crossed one leg over the other.</p><p>Larissa swallowed nervously. She didn’t like how AJ’s cerulean eyes gleamed.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“If I knew that chocolate chip frappuccino I made was for that girl, I would have poisoned it” Silver said, through gritted teeth. He had momentarily forgotten about his anger when Korinne made him step back from the cash register and just work on orders, but when he saw Milo serve his specialty to her… His vision went red.</p><p>He doubled over when he felt a sharp blow to his side. “Ow! That hurt!”</p><p>Maxine stood beside him. Her elbow poised just below his rib cage. She had an empty tray tucked under one arm. “That goes against a lot of codes, not to mention the law of the state. If you’re going to murder someone, do it at your own time and don’t put the café at risk.”</p><p>“That’s the advice you give him, Max? Seriously?” Travis asked, fixing another order. His hands worked dexterously at the coffee maker.</p><p>To this, the raven only shrugged. “If someone was going to be rude to me like that, I’d think of the same thing, but I wouldn’t tell you guys. No one plans a murder out loud.” She curtsied before exiting from their space behind the counter. She was on waiting duty, after all.</p><p>Travis stood next to Silver. He gently nudged him with his shoulder. “So, which one is the subject of your murder thoughts?”</p><p>Silver checked his chin towards a far-off table, where two girls sat. The gray-haired girl was talking intently with the blond one.</p><p>“Hmm… She’s kind of hot,” Travis commented. “In that Amazonian kind of way.”</p><p>Silver blinked. “No, she’s not.” </p><p>“Yes, she is, man. You’re just blinded by your hatred.”</p><p>Silver looked at the table again just to make sure he and Travis were looking at the same place. She had an androgynous face with features that were both sharp, yet gentle. Her long gray hair cascaded down her back in a waterfall. Her limbs were long and she almost looked awkward in the chair she was sitting on.</p><p><em> ‘Okay, so she’s kind of hot,’ </em> he thought to himself.</p><p>“Isn’t that the girl who out-sassed Milo a few weeks back?” he said, changing the subject.</p><p>“She is?” Travis asked, blinking. His blue eyes squinted, as if this would give him a better vision.</p><p>“She is,” Korinne confirmed from behind the cash register. “Apparently, they’re friends. Who knew?”</p><p>Milo slipped in from waiting tables. An unreadable expression was on his face. He marched to where Silver was and held him by the arms. “Switch with me. You attend to the tables. I’m going to make coffee.”</p><p>“What? Why?” Silver whined, planting his feet on the tiled floor. “I don’t want to!”</p><p>“Come on, Silver, don’t be stubborn!” Milo tried to push Silver out of their workstation, but he held on to the table with both hands.</p><p>“I don’t wanna! I don’t wanna go out there, while she’s still here!”</p><p>“Don’t make this harder than it should be, Baudelaire!”</p><p>“Uh, guys?” Travis called out to them.</p><p>“You keep switching jobs with me when it’s convenient for you! I don’t wanna!”</p><p>“You get to get tips if you’re out there. We both know you like tips!”</p><p>“I can get tips from the tip jar for the coffee I make!”</p><p>“Guys!” This time Travis had to raise his voice. </p><p>The two males stopped shoving each other.</p><p>“Before you start making a mess back here and have Maxine blow up at your faces,” Travis said, crossing his arms, “you guys should quit pushing each other.” It was rare for Travis to take the mature role. This made Silver realize how immature he had been acting.</p><p>From how Milo looked beside him, he could tell he was feeling the same thing.</p><p>“Good.” Travis turned back to his work. “Also, before I forget. Silver, someone’s looking for you.” He checked his head towards the place where to-go orders were served.</p><p>The gray-haired girl stood there, staring at the countertop.</p><p>Silver straightened and fixed his shirt as best as he could. How long had she been standing there and did she see him and Milo acting like kids? He glared at Travis for not telling him sooner.</p><p>He walked to where she was and tried to keep an annoyed look on his face. “What do you want?”</p><p>The girl chewed at her lip. “Do you guys fight like that back there all the time?”</p><p>“I don’t see how that’s any of your business.” Silver crossed his arms. “The same way as how my face is none of your business.”</p><p>She sighed. “Okay. I know I stepped out of line earlier,” she said, in an even tone that was obviously practiced. “And I’m just here to-” She swallowed and mumbled something under her breath.</p><p>Silver leaned in to hear her. He noticed how tall she was for a girl. Just a few inches shorter than him and he was pretty tall for a guy. “To? If you have something to say you should say it. They’re going to take this out of my break time.”</p><p>“I’m just here to apologize,” she said in one breath. “I’m sorry. I said some really mean things towards you earlier. I was completely out of line. I hope you accept this small amount for my behavior.” She held out a folded bill towards Silver. Her face was tinged pink from embarrassment.</p><p>‘Okay, she looks kind of cute.’</p><p>Silver mentally slapped himself and tried to keep his annoyed face.</p><p>“I know money couldn’t fix everything, but right now this is all I have and my apology. I hope you accept it.”</p><p>Silver paused. He looked over to his workmates who were trying not to notice their exchange. He quietly took the money from the girl and put it in his breast pocket. “Apology accepted and I’ll just take this as a tip for the frappe I made.”</p><p>The girl blinked. She looked like a vampire with her pale skin, silvery hair, and crimson eyes. “You made that?”</p><p>“Yes. Frappes are usually my specialty,” he said with a hint of pride. “Why? Is there a problem with that?”</p><p>The girl shook her head. She gave him a thumbs-up. “It was good! You did good.”</p><p>Silver felt his cheeks warm up. “Thanks.”</p><p>“Don’t mention it.” The girl gave him a small smile. “I’ll, uh, leave you to your work now. I wouldn’t want you to run out of minutes for your break.”</p><p>“Uh… okay. Sure. Enjoy your frappe.” Silver turned away and walked back to his workstation.</p><p>“That went well,” Korinne said, not turning around from where she sat.</p><p>“Mm-hmm,” Silver hummed in reply.</p><p>“So, do you still want to poison her?” Travis asked. Silver could see him hold back a teasing smirk.</p><p>Silver pretended to focus on his work. The tips of his ears turned pink. “Shut up.”</p>
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